Yurt Check-In

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

My husband and I did an overnight at the Big Water Yurt in Millcreek Canyon the other week, and I noticed things had changed in the two years since I last was there.The furniture has been updated  it's more attractive, and there now are four beds instead of six. However, the bunks are wider and more comfortable for two people. A new end table and a chair have joined the bench, picnic table and hutch. The old hurricane lantern is gone.Also, a mouse had moved into the ladies' bathroom. I named it Anchovy.Of course, none of those changes is as significant as the new lottery system to award nights at the popular yurt. This season Salt Lake County ended the annual phone race for reservations (hopeful guests used to call the parks office one fall morning when reservations opened up, and then hit redial again and again and again until the line was no longer busy). Without the chance to mobilize a full group to bombard the switchboard on Yurt Day, my husband and I got a single Thursday night in late March.The snow was lame this year, but it's still a great winter camping trip and a nice 4.5 mile hike (one-way).What's at the yurt:

some pots, including one saucepan with a hole, a large pot for melting snow and a rusty cast-iron kettle

bottle opener

propane floor lamp

foam sleep pads on the bunks (7 good, one ratty).

A lot of stuff had accumulated from other guests by March, but I don't know if it's always up there  powdered coffee creamer, some soup (thanks!), matches, a newspaper, chemical fire-starters, some camp stove fuel and ink pens.

I hope to give you another update next year!

 Erin Alberty

Share This Article

ARTICLE PHOTO GALLERY

USER COMMENTS

Reader comments on sltrib.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Salt Lake Tribune. We will delete comments containing obscenities, personal attacks and inappropriate or offensive remarks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. If you see an objectionable comment, please alert us by clicking the arrow on the upper right side of the comment and selecting "Flag comment as inappropriate". If you've recently registered with Disqus or aren't seeing your comments immediately, you may need to verify your email address. To do so, visit disqus.com/account. See more about comments here.